Secondary rack



Nov. 23, 1948. B. M. SMALLEY SECONDARY RACK Filed April 8, 1946 Earl M Patented Nov. 23, 1948 SECONDARY RACK Burt M. Smaliey, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Joslyn Mfg. and Supply 00., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 8, 1946, Serial N 0. 660,398

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to power line hardware and more particularly to secondary racks.

In power line systems secondary racks are employed and more commonly at a point where power is to be distributed from the main line. Heretofore secondary racks have been made of various sizes and types, but in general the preference has been for secondary racks of the type having extended mounting holes. Racks of the type having extended mounting holes are more convenient in use and are generally secured to the supporting structure or pole by a bolt at each end of the rack. Such rack, however, particularly in regions where the wires are subjected to sleet and ice coatings, is susceptible of deformation or bowing. In order to overcome such disadvantages, it has been suggested to place the bolts immediately beneath or behind each insulator. While such structure provides the necessary strength for supporting the rack without substantial deformation, the labor involved makes the installation and total cost of such racks relatively high. This is due to the fact that it generally is necessary to remove all of the insulators from the rack and pass the bolts through the back which generally is of a channel-like pressed steel configuration. Thereafter the bolts and insulators are re-assembled. This consumes considerable time, particularly on the part of the line men.

It, therefore, would be desirable to provide an improved rack in which the back is not extended materially beyond the actual overall length of the insulators but which, however, is as readily installed as the extended back type of secondary rack.

It furthermore would be desirable to provide in such rack an arrangement whereby it is unnecessary to remove the insulators and furthermore if such procedure is necessary to provide for the individual removal of each insulator therebts avoiding the necessity of removing the common bolt and all of the insulators.

It, therefore, is an object of the present invention to provide an improved type of secondary rack.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved secondary rack of limited length.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a, secondary rack of the aforesaid type which has the fastening bolts or screws positioned immediately beneath the outer end insulators.

Other and further objects of the present invention subsequently will become apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a front view of the present invention as installed on a support or pole;

Figure 2 is a side view of the installed device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the manner in which the fastening means may be passed through the back of the rack without removing the insulator;

Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 as seen directly beneath the insulator; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 3 it will be seen that there has been shown a pole or support HI upon which has been mounted a secondary rack comprising a pressed steel back l2 which carries a plurality of points I4 which preferably are of the drop forged type which carry by means of suitable button head bolts 16 insulators l8. The pressed steel back I2 has a central channel configuration 20 provided with relatively wide curved flanges 22 which are adapted to engage the curved surface of a pole or support. At spaced intervals the channel 20 is provided with suitable apertures into which are press fitted the points H which are preferably drop forged and are secured in permanent position by welding the points to the back.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 the two end insulators are positioned a predetermined distance on opposite sides of a median plane which extends through the central insulator. The central insulator is supported on pins which extend in a direction normal to the top plane of the channel 20 of the back II. The upper and lower pins are angularly displaced in a manner similar to that illustrated by Figure 3 where the axial plane through the insulator bolt is at a relatively acute angle A with respect to a plane normal to the top surface or the channel 20. A pair of pins l4 supports an individual insulator II by means of a single buttonhead bolt passing therethrough and being secured in position by a self-locking brass cotter pin 24.

Immediately beneath the two end insulators the channel back II is provided with suitable HL'UH elongated apertures 28 for receiving fastening means such as a bolt or a lag screw 28.

In order to illustrate the manner in which the secondary rack of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be secured to the pole without dismantling the insulators, reference may be made to Figure 3. In that figure it will be seen that the pole has been prepared for reception of the lag screw 28 by the drilling of a hole 38. The rack may have its back tilted sufficiently so that the bolt 28 may be started in the hole 38. After one of the bolts 28 has been started in its respective hole, the rack may be tilted in the opposite direction so that the other bolt at the other end of the rack may likewise be started in its hole. Thereafter both of the bolts 28 may be tightened so as to secure rigidly the back of the rack to the pole.

From the representation shown in Figure 3, it will be apparent that there is suflicient space between the walls of the channel 28 to permit the bolt 28 to pass through the opening 26 at an angle B relative thereon. The head of the bolt 28 will clear the concave portion of the insulator l8. By having the bolts placed directly behind the upper and lower insulators, the distance between the fastening means is appreciably less than in the case of an extended back rack, and hence the strain on the pins I4 is not capable of appreciably deforming the central portion of the rack. By having the upper and lower insulators offset in opposite directions from the central plane, the load will still be balanced on the rack. The displacement of the upper and lower insulators relative to the central plane, however, necessitates the use of individual bolts through each insulator which however has the advantage of permitting the line men to change any insulator without disassembling the insulators in the other positions.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Figures 4, 5, and 6 wherein the secondary rack has a pressed steel back 32 which has a cross sectional configuration generally similar to that of the back [2 of the previous embodiment. The back 32 supports four pins 36 which in turn support by means of a single bolt 38 a plurality of insulators 48. The bolt 38 at its other end is secured in position by a self-locking cotter pin 42. In the arrangement shown three bolts 44 are provided for securing the rack in three places each immediately beneath the respective insulator 48.

Figure 5 of the drawing shows a plan view of the pressed steel back 32 which is provided with a plurality of spaced circular openings 46 each adapted to receive in pressed fit relation the lower extremity of one of the pins 36. Between the openings 48 the bolt receiving openings 48 are formed so as to have a generally elongated configuration. The central portion of the back 32 is formed with a channel cross sectional configuration 50 which is terminated by slightly curved relatively wide support flanges 52. In the proximity of the center of the opening I8 the channel 50 is provided with outwardly extending bulges 54 which provide an additional clearance between the edges of the channel 54' so that each of the bolts 44 may be inserted through the channel 50 at an angle thereto until the bolt or lag screw 44 has been passed through the opening 48 a distance suflicient that the head of the bolt or screw is beneath the insulator 40. Thus it is possible for the line men to insert a plurality of lag screws or bolts 44 through the openings 48 and then to screw in position the secondary rack in a manner such as illustrated in Figure 4. The installation as illustrated in Figure 4 therefore is one which is capable of withstanding a heavy duty load without deformation due to the fact that the rack is bolted to the support immediately beneath each of the insulators.

The term screw as used in the appended claims is intended to describe a bolt or lag screw as 28 for mounting the rack on a pole H! or other support.

While for the purpose of describing and illustrating the present invention, certain preferred embodiments have been shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby since obviously such variations in the components and in their arrangements may be made as may be commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.

This invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A secondary rack comprising a back of elongated configuration having a longitudinal channel portion, a plurality of spaced insulator support pins mounted on said channel portion with the bases of all said pins being substantially in alignment, and a plurality of insulators mounted on said pins, said back having two mounting holes for receiving screws, each of said holes being positioned between and in alignment with the bases of a pair of said pins supporting an end insulator, the end pairs of pins being so arranged that said end insulators are displaced from a plane normal to the surface of said channel portion whereby screws may be inserted in said mounting holes without removal of said insulators.

2. A secondary rack comprising a back of elongated configuration having a longitudinal channel portion and support flanges extending transversely therefrom, and a plurality of pairs of spaced insulator support pins mounted on said channel portion with the bases of all said pins being substantially in alignment, and a plurality of insulators respectively mounted on said pairs of pins, said back having a mounting hole for receiving a screw positioned between and in alignment with the bases of the pins supporting each end insulator, the end pairs of said pins being arranged at opposite acute angles with respect to a median longitudinal plane normal to said channel back.

3. A secondary rack comprising a back having a central longitudinal channel portion located between similar transversely positioned support flanges, a plurality of insulator pins respectively secured to said back with their bases substantially in alignment, a plurality of insulators arranged to be supported by said pins, and means mounting said insulators respectively between pairs of said pins, said back having a fastening hole located in said channel portion between and in alignment with the bases of the pins supporting each end insulator, the pins for each end insulator being positioned at an angle to the longitudinal normal plane through said back whereby a screw may be passed through each fastening hole without rem-oval of the insulator.

4. A secondary rack comprising a back of elongated configuration having a longitudinal channel portion and transversely arranged support flanges, a plurality of spaced insulator support pins mounted on said channel portion with the bases of all said pins being substantially in align- -L-rillUll ment, and a plurality of insulators mounted on said pins, said channel portion having a plurality of mougtinggholes for receiving screws, each of said holes being positioned in longitudinal alignment with the bases of said pins and disposed directly behind one of said insulators, said support pins adjacent said holes being inclined at an acute angle to a plane normal to the surface of said longitudinal channel portion whereby screws may be inserted in said mounting holes without necessitating removal of said insulators.

5. A secondary rack comprising a back of elongated configuration having a longitudinal central channel portion and transversely arranged support flanges, a plurality of insulator supports mounted on said channel portion with the bases thereof substantially in alignment with each other, a plurality of insulators for said pins, and a bolt interconnecting all said pins and said insulators, said channel portion having mounting holes for receiving screws positioned in said longitudinal channel portion between and in alignment with certain pairs of said pins, said pins being inclined at an acute angle to a plane normal to the top surface of the channel portion of said back whereby screws or bolts may be inserted directly in said mountin holes without removal of said insulators.

6. A secondary rack comprising a back having a channel and transversely arranged support flanges, a plurality of spaced insulator support pins with the bases thereof mounted in alignment on said channel, and a plurality of insulators mounted on said pins, said channel having a plu" rality of mounting holes located directly between pairs of said pins behind the insulators supported thereby, the pins adjacent to said holes being inclined with respect to a plane normal to said channel, and said channel adjacent to said mounting holes being enlarged, thereby to afford clearance for a screw to be passed through each of said mounting holes.

BURT M. SMALLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 937,984 Brown Oct. 26, 1909 1,007,138 Pierce Oct. 31, 1911 1,616,360 Foster Feb. 1, 1927 1,623,864 Chase et al Apr. 5, 1927 1,706,237 Kyle Mar. 19, 1929 1,802,965 Brady Apr. 28, 1931 1,883,671 Fort Oct. 18, 1932 2,302,883 Olivier Nov. 24, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Line Material Co., Sectional Catalog 24, section 15, page 1519, rack No. 3030-G.

HUUH 

